Flanagan’s Onions 3 Vasco da Gama 1

Flanagan’s Onions withstood a Vasco da Gama fightback to advance to the First Division Shield final at PHC Field yesterday.

Zion Simmons and Ricardo Ponte, the Vasco captain, traded first-half goals before Daniel Lehner and Akim Johnston converted after the break to send Mick Ward’s team through to their first cup final in five seasons.

“Something we haven’t had for a few years is silverware, so happy to be in the final where we still have some work to do,” Ward said.

“I wasn’t happy with the first half. I thought during the first half we kind of let them play a bit too much and we didn’t do the things that we talked about. But the second half was much better and I think that showed with the fact we got the goal that really helped us.

“We started to play better second half. The passes were a bit more slick and credit to the boys who played to the end and made sure we pulled it off.”

Onions last appeared in a cup final when they were in the top flight, losing 3-1 against Dandy Town in the 2014-15 FA Cup final, the same season they were relegated.

With a spot in the New Year’s Day final on the line, Onions came out swinging and after establishing control with their superior movement on and off the ball took a deserved lead.

Jecoa Thomas delivered a free kick in the box which fellow defender Simmons nodded past Vasco goalkeeper Paulo Carreiro from point-blank range.

Vasco nearly made an immediate reply, but Onions goalkeeper Koshun Simmons was equal to the task as he tipped defender Artur Paulino’s 30-yard free kick over the bar.

Forward Seth Odondi squandered a golden opportunity to extend Onions’s lead after he dragged wide with only Carreiro standing in front of him while team-mate Chejon Berkeley had a header from Thomas’s corner tipped over.

Vasco enjoyed their best spell towards the end of the opening half and were rewarded as striker Ponte buried a shot into the far bottom corner after running onto a through ball down the middle. Ponte had the ball in the net again shortly after. However, the goal was ruled offside to leave the game wide open at the half.

After the break Onions threatened with Carreiro rushing off his line to clear the ball away from forward Callon Burns. However, Onions would not be denied on their next attack. Lehner latched onto Burns’s throw and slotted past Carreiro from an angle with what proved to be the winner. Vasco substitute Jordan Watts tested Simmons with a thumping effort from 40 yards which the latter tipped over the bar.

It was the closest Vasco came to scoring in the second half and it was game over when forward Johnston converted two minutes from time. Carreiro palmed Treshun Smith’s free kick onto the bar and Johnston stabbed the loose ball into the net.

Onions nearly added to their tally with substitute Vuk Panic having a shot saved off the line and then dragging wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.

SQUAD

Flanagans Onions (4-1-4-1): K Simmons — J Thomas, Z Simmons (sub: M Laws, 85min), C Berkeley, S Campbell — T Smith, C Burns (sub: C Kierans, 85), S Odondi, D Lehner, A Johnston — J Morgan (sub: V Panic, 78). Substitutes not used: L Matthews. Booked: Morgan.

Vasco (4-3-3): P Carreiro — E Viera, A Paulino, A Camara, C Correia (sub: B Horseman, 78)- G Sigmorile (sub: J Watts, 27), E Santos-Correia, J Costa — R Smith, A Van-Duyne, R Ponte. Substitutes not used: R Bell, A Paynter, J Dunstan, C Roque, M Pacheco. Booked: Viera.

Referee: L Cann.